Heart failure w

Whot advice can be given about

I convalescence?

Thte patient should live amiet and relaxed life, without stress, and I gradually take a little exercise. An- I tico&gulant drugs may be taken at I home for several wpeks. Sexual in- I tercourse may be/resumed after the I first month. Herfvy lifting and | strains should be avoided for two I months following the attack. After 1 six weeks, the dead muscle in the I heart will have been replaced by I scar tissue. To strengthen the I heart, the physician may recom- [ mend increasing amounts of exer- I cise.

Does a heart attack alter Ще life- I style of a patient? I There are a number of precautions I that a patient must observe for life. ■ Most physicians advise physical I exercise foKlO to 15 minutes a I day. Initially^xercises may be I taught at а согмщгу rehabilitation L center, where mommping equip- I ment shows up any signs-ofjheart f strain in the patient.

A person why has had a heart at- k tack must never smoke. Alcohol, I too, should/be avoided as it may

interfere With weight reduction | and control of blood pressure. Ex- I cessiyg use of alcohol causes direct I toxicity on the heart. If the patient suffers from hypertension (high blood pressure), this must be treated and kept well under con- | trol.

Q: What are the complications of cor­onary heart disease? A: Damage to the electrical conduct- | ing mechanism of the heart may cause atrial fibrillation, with the ; symptom of an irregular, rapid pulse. Congestive heart failure (due to inadequate pumping by the heart) may occur if a large amount of the heart muscle has been dam­aged. See also fibrillation. Are certain groups more prone to coronary heart disease? ' Four times as many men as women have coronary heart disease. It also tends to affect more men earlier in life than women. Coronary heart disease is more common in women after menopause. There is a high incidence of the disorder in the

following groups: smokers; those with hypertension; those who are overweight; those with high blood cholesterol levels; those with phys­ically inactive jobs; and thosejaritff anxious or aggressive dispositions. The possibility of a heart attack is greatly increased in those who have had one already, those who have a family history of them, and those who are diabetic. Q: Is it possible to prevent coronary

heart disease? A: Patients who are overweight, who are hypertensive, who smoke, or who are inactive with a high cho­lesterol level can reduce the chances of heart attacks by chang­ing their habits appropriately.

Heart failure occurs when the heart's pumping ability is impaired. The heart continues to beat, but not strongly enough to maintain adequate circula­tion. This results in a retention of blood in the organs and tissues throughout the body. The reduction of heart function may be due to a variety of conditions: hypertension (high blood pressure); valvular heart disease; or coronary heart disease. For symptoms and treatment of chronic heart failure, see heart failure, congestive.

Acute heart failure may follow a pul­monary embolus (a blood clot blocking an artery in a lung) or coronary throm­bosis (a blood clot blocking an artery in the heart). The patient experiences shortness of breath and coughs up blood­stained sputum. Acute congestive heart failure may come on at night because excess fluid moves from the legs into the circulation mainstream when the